Lunchtime in Luanda: 5 great meals under $20

Mercer ratings. Liberal use of expense accounts. A water bottle for $20. The $100 melon. Most expensive city in the world. Your kid’s college fund wasted on lunches at the Epic Sana and dinners at Pimm’s. You’ve heard the horror stories, both real and untrue. But Angolans do still live here and the vast majority of them don’t have expense accounts. The vast majority of them also know where to have a perfectly delicious lunch at perfectly reasonable prices. Put down your expense report, take out your kwanzas, readjust your outlook and sample one of these 5 great places in downtown Luanda to have lunch for about $20 and under.

A Nossa Sombra
A Nossa Sombra is one of the best kept secrets of the Kinaxixi area in downtown Luanda. It’s an authentic oasis, in the truest sense of the word. It’s a place where you can have lunch surrounded by greenery and fresh air, in the polluted concrete and dust-filled jungle that is Luanda. Plants are everywhere : after all this establishment doubles as a nursery.The sounds of the honking candongueiros seem far away as you eat, enveloped by a soft hush and the happy, content chit-chatter of fellow patrons. The blue sky is directly over-head, for this is an open air joint. The food is quite good and the beer is cold. They also sell fruit juices and soft drinks. All this is available to you for less than $20 – the daily special rarely exceeds 1300kz ($15).

Hamburg’s Miramar
Hands down the best burger in town, in our humble opinion (although some of us prefer the burgers at Pensão Alcobaça). We are not sure exactly what is going on with the naming of this place (why hamburg and not hamburger?) but the burgers are the real deal. Hamburger patty. Ham. Cheese. Fried Egg. Lettuce. Tomato. Bacon. And that’s just the normal, 1000kz ($10) burger. Their huge “Hamburguer Maluco” combo comes with all that plus fries and a drink and will set you back 1400 kz ($14). They also have non-burger dishes like chicken and steak for 1400kz and 1650kz respectively. It’s about 200 meters from the American embassy, does take away and delivery, but you can also sit inside.

Al Amir
This Lebanese restaurant has quickly become one of the favorite places amongst our friends. We love the quick, friendly and consistent service, the quality and diversity of the food, and the prices! This is one of the most affordable places in the capital when it comes to value for money, and it seems that the secret is out because Al Amir is always packed with locals and expats. You can get a big plate of Lebanese food with salad and fries (chips) for about 1200kz ($12). The shawarma and falafel dishes are particularly sought after. The place also offers pastries, cakes, ice cream, and other sweet treats.

View Larger MapA Tendinha
It is the closest thing to a bistro that Luanda has, and can now be considered sort of an institution. A Tendinha is a very well frequented little restaurant in walking distance to three major hotels (Skyna, Epic Sana and Trópico) and very popular at lunch times with both expats and locals. The clientele is truly diverse: you will see people from all walks of life and from all different places, although Portuguese and Angolan are the best represented. Unsurprisingly, the food is a mixture of Portuguese and Angolan cuisine and there is plentiful beer on tap. A Tendinha will usually have 10 specials per day, with the average price around the 2000kz ($20) mark. The affordability of the cuisine and the bustling atmosphere make it one of our preferred restaurants for a quick lunch in the city center.

View Larger MapShoprite
Shoprite, the South African grocery store giant, also has a few stores in Angola, and surprisingly can also be a decent place to grab your lunch. There are a variety of dishes, most very common in Angolan households, including caldeirada, feijoada, and a diverse assortment of grilled meats. Since the food is priced by weight, you can get a large portion for much less than $20. The lines are long (especially at lunch time), sometimes the people less than friendly, but your pocket will thank you. Shoprite has a store inside Belas Shopping, one in Palanca and another in Lobito, Benguela.